Leyte Gulf - USS Natoma Bay CVE-62

Subject: War Diary
USS NATOMA BAY (CVE 62)
c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, Calif.
25 October 1944
T.U. 77.4.2
C.T.U.77.4.2 Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump, USN, in USS NATOMA
BAY, Flagship
1.Operating in the northeast of the entrace to Leyte Island,
in the Philippine Islands.
2.In the light of dispatches received during the night of
24-25 October, to the effect that strong Japanese surface
forces were headed for Surigao Strait to force an entrance
into Leyte Gulf from the south, this ship was directed to
make preparations for a torpedo attack on enemy naval
units which might be sighted after daylight on 25 October.
During pre-dawn flight quarters this ship passed through
rain squalls but the weather cleared later in the day, and
did not interfere with flight operations. At 0658 (Item) a
message was received from C.T.U. 77.4.3 (northern carrier
attack unit) that he was under attack from strong enemy
surface forces coming down from the north. This report was
later amplified to identify the enemy force as 2 BB, 8 CA,
and 12 DD. At 0724 a pilot from USS OMMANEY BAY reported
sighting an enemy task force (apparently the same one
reported by C.T.G. 77.4.3) as bearing 330° (T). distance 15
miles from this unit on Course 090° (T), speed 25 knots. A
plot of this position indicated the enemy to be at that
time at latitude 11° 44' N, longitude 126° 24' E. At 0740
in compliance with instructions from C.T.U. 77.4.2 this
ship launched 4 VT, each loaded with one Mark XIII aerial
torpedo (steaming course 150° T, Launching course 025° T).
These planes were directed to rendezvous with similar
planes from other carriers in this unit, to form a strike
group, but due to weather conditions at the time (ceiling
2000 feet, cloud cover .6) and the very limited time
allowed for briefing, difficulty was experienced in
joining up, and this flight proceeded to attack the enemy
alone. At 0802 USS FRANKS, in the screen of this
Leyte Gulf 55